I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to decorative candles and, more particularly, to a method of imparting decorative coloration to candles which enables the use of environmentally friendly dyes, including natural mineral coloring agents or pigment dyes for coloration, in combination with paraffin and non-paraffin candle material such as beeswax or vegetable waxes.
II. Related Art
Candles have long been used for illumination and so techniques for producing candles have been practiced for many centuries. More recently, candles have no longer been necessary for lighting, but they have enjoyed a popularity as decorative accents in many circumstances and they are now produced in a variety of shapes and sizes, many of which are formed using molds. Candles are also made from a variety of combustible materials. These include refined petroleum-based hydrocarbon paraffin wax, various tallow materials including stearic acid components made from animal fats, beeswax, a variety of hydrogenated vegetable oils such as palm oil and coconut oil, soy oil and mineral oil gels. Such combustible materials for non-paraffin candles are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,144.
Candles are generally formed by imbedding a wicking material in a stable combustible composition having a relatively low melting point and allowing the wicking material to protrude from the combustible composition. Once the wick is lit, the resulting heat causes the adjacent exposed combustible composition to melt. The melted composition proceeds to move up the wick where it is consumed. This well-known phenomenon in which liquids tend to move uphill through porous materials is known as capillary action or “wicking” and this enables the candle to burn continuously consuming melted combustible material as it moves up the wick. Thus, necessary characteristics of a combustible composition of a candle include that of a relatively low melting point and satisfactory wicking properties for proper burning.
With the rise of the popularity of candles as decorative accents, it has also become popular to add coloring agents or dyes to the combustible candle material in order to achieve a decorative effect. Heretofore, the coloring agents or dyes available to candle makers have been limited to synthetic and oil soluble materials, most of which are petroleum or coal-tar based and, while they are compatible with most combustible candle compositions, they may also be toxic in vapor form or if ingested. Natural water-based dyes or food coloring-type colorants do not dissolve or disperse in waxes and therefore, are impractical for use in candles.
Toxic effects may be avoided by using natural, mineral-based coloring agents or pigments to add a colorant to a candle. Typically, colorants or dyes have been added to the wax prior to pouring the wax into a candle mold, with the colorant or dye dispersed generally evenly in the melted wax. However, it has been found that benign coloring agents such as natural mineral pigments, while advantageous in many ways, if dispersed in the melted wax, tend to interfere with the natural capillary action of the wax at the wick and so reduce or eliminate the wicking effect necessary for the burning of the candle. This, of course, has precluded the use of such materials as it prevents proper burning of the candle and thereby renders it useless for the intended purpose. Thus, the desirability of manufacturing candles using non-toxic and environmentally friendly coloring agents remains. It would be desirable if one could make decorative candles colored by, for example, natural mineral pigments, that avoid interference with the natural wicking process and enables such candles to burn normally.